Natural Sciences

Bacterial sensors send a jolt of electricity when triggered

Rice researchers develop programmable bacteria that sense contaminants and release an electronic signal in real time.

New catalyst can turn smelly hydrogen sulfide into a cash cow

Rice engineers and scientists and collaborators have discovered an efficient, one-step process for converting hydrogen sulfide gas into clean-burning hydrogen fuel.

Physicists use ‘electron correlations’ to control topological materials

Physicists from Rice and other institutions have discovered a way to switch topological states on and off.

Halas, Nordlander honored in Rome

Italian President Sergio Mattarella presented Rice’s Naomi Halas and Peter Nordlander the 2022 Eni Energy Transition Award in an Oct. 3 ceremony in Rome's Quirinal Palace.

Climate risks for Gulf of Mexico coral reefs spelled out in study

Promptly reducing greenhouse emissions would give Gulf of Mexico corals up to 20 extra years to adapt to critical threshold temperatures, according to Rice research.

See nature like (and with) a biologist in new online courses

Online learners can follow Rice biologist and author Scott Solomon into the wild through an engaging series of courses focused on ecology, evolution and biodiversity.

Rice lab grows macroscale, modular materials from bacteria

Rice bioscientists have created bacteria that self-assembles into a material like putty that could soak up pollutants.

Bird’s enzyme points toward novel therapies

Rice University chemists find a rare genetic pathway that helps mammalian cells become drug factories or sensors by synthesizing noncanonical amino acids. The clues came from an uncommon bird.

​​​​​​​Interwoven: Charge and magnetism intertwine in kagome material

Rice physicists have discovered a quantum material where electrons engage in a collective dance that appears to be governed by both their electronic and magnetic natures.

Rice part of multi-institution grant to study teacher education and development

A three-year National Science Foundation grant will fund a multi-institution study of how social networks affect teacher education development.

Can fungi help Texas’ grasses cope with climate change?

Rice biologists are using Texas as a living lab to study how symbiotic fungi help grasses tolerate drought.

SU(N) matter is about 3 billion times colder than deep space

Physicists from Rice and Kyoto University are using the uni­­verse’s coldest fermions to explore quantum magnets.

New weapon targets antibiotic resistance

A new class of molecular motors triggered by visible light kills harmful bacteria by generating reactive oxygen species. The new strategy could be a weapon against antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Glowing tags reveal split-second activity of pathogenic circuitry

Rice bioengineers have created the first tool for observing the real-time activity of biology’s most ubiquitous signal-processing circuits.

Reconstructing ice age diets reveals unraveling web of life

Rice-led research published in Science offers a clear picture of the consequences of land mammal declines on food webs.